Sveta

Telliskivi Loomelinnak, sometimes called "Creative City," is an art-focused venue, featuring a collective of studios, galleries, and other cultural happenings. The group is well known for the way they have managed to spark life into old industrial buildings, robust concrete, and forsaken houses. Sveta Bar is no exception: It is a modern cultural bar, converted from an old railway depot auxiliary building. It has gained recognition in Europe for its style, offerings, and its location. Sveta Bar's music program is particularly exciting, as it fulfills the needs of the traditional club goer, while also being a popular concert venue for everybody who appreciates the best  in Europe's heavy music. 

With an alternative atmosphere, Sveta Bar mixes rough brick with neon light, offering a modern industrial atmosphere that is always sure to impress its visitors. At the same time, Sveta is located right in the epicenter of nightlife, Telliskivi Loomelinnak, which in itself is one of the most exciting cultural spots in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). . Here, you'll find a spot where parties last from night to morning, and then from morning back to night again! In general, Sveta Bar is a great place for all music lovers. Music is playing there around the clock, and sometimes, you'll even catch a live music performance on Thursday or Friday, too!

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Uus Laine

Uus Laine, which translates to "New Wave," has one of the coolest club atmospheres in all of Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). . Outside of its excellent acoustics, Uus Laine is just visually beautiful. Boasting stylish rooms and breathtaking interior design, Uus Laine is truly unique from the rest of the Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). scene. Furthermore, this club is diverse: Uus Laine's charming atmosphere is somewhere between a bar, a venue, and a culture club.

Outside of concerts, Uus Laine functions as a bar and a cultural venue, where people interested in music and pop culture can come together. Uus Laine's has a sparse live-music program, but its bar makes up for that. In addition to live music, there are busy DJ sets, comedy routines, trivia, etc. The quantity of diverse programming at Uus Laine is relatively regular, so there is usually something fun going on, should you decide to stop by for a visit.

In addition, Uus Laine is not far from Telliskivi Loomelinnak, and the active nightlife scene is only a short walk away. The next time that you're bar hopping in the area, you'll be able to enjoy all of the live-music charms that Sveta, Erinevate Tubade Klubi, and other party venues located in Telliskivi Loomelinnak can potentially offer.

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Erinevate Tubade Klubi

If all the aforementioned venues are good places to begin your night, then Erinevate Tubade Klubi would be a great place to visit after your concert is over. It is located in the center of nightlife, and can be considered a kind of concert epicenter. It's worth noting, however, that the scheduling of the Erinevate Tubade Klubi is, generally speaking, one of the calmest. This venue primarily offers the best in Estonian music, complete with seating options, for the more easy-going concert-attending connoisseur. (This doesn't mean that the venue won't occasionally get bands that are sure to inspire its patrons to jump and dance like crazy people, though!) 

Erinevate Tubade Klubi is generally best suited for those who have no interest in moving on after the concert wraps up. Conversely, this spot is also great for those who are too excited to go home after the concert, and want to go to the next party right after it has concluded. 

One of the things that makes Erinevate Tubade Klubi atmospherically interesting is its calmness and serenity. Arriving at the club is like arriving at a good friend's home: You will be greeted by kind people in the lobby, and instead of stomping into the room with your boots on, you are expected to change your outdoor shoes to slippers. Everything about the Erinevate Tubade Klubi experience is pleasant, cozy, and thoroughly enjoyable at every moment.

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HALL

HALL is a modern culture center that focuses primarily on electronic dance music, with a few occasional exceptions. The techno club, built within an old warehouse, is an internationally-recognized mecca of dance music, where you'll find live-music concerts, discos and raves taking place, and DJs performing their sets.

Dedicatedly, HALL has a fairly clear focus on modern music, and more specifically, on modern electronic dance music. Visuals, laser play, and above all, "danceability," are the most important factors for a HALL event.

HALL is located in the harbor town of Noblessner, complete with industrial buildings, featuring magnificent architecture. In the immediate vicinity of HALL, you can find art galleries, eateries, cinemas, and other varied high culture, rather than clubs and never-ending nightlife options.

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About the author:
 Tuuli Põhjakas is the culture editor for the daily paper, Postimees Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper. . 
Tuuli has always dreamed of calling herself a writer, but until that day comes, she writes in Postimees Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper. about her musical passions, ventures to a variety of concerts, and tries to find her way in this world. Tuuli has studied philosophy and religious studies at the University of Tartu University of Tartu - Tartu Ülikool is an Estonian higher education institute. , and has written two bachelor’s theses on Friedrich Nietzsche. Additionally, she hates talking about herself in the third person.

It's worth noting that the vast majority of Estonian radio programs are entirely in Estonian, and although the music itinerary for any given station can be quite diverse, and feature songs in many languages, the talk programs and general conversation is all typically in Estonian. 

Here is an overview of the most popular radio stations in Estonia:

Vikerraadio Vikerraadio is an Estonian national radio station.

Firstly, a bit of history. The predecessor of Estonian National Broadcasting Company, Eesti Raadio, had four radio stations in 1993: the more conservative I program; the lighter II program, Vikerraadio Vikerraadio is an Estonian national radio station. ; the III program, for foreign broadcasts; and the Russian-language IV program. After the radio reformation, Vikerraadio Vikerraadio is an Estonian national radio station. was merged with the I program, and an entirely new station was born. For program II, Raadio 2 Raadio 2 is an Estonian radio station. , a station was made for young people. For program IV, the Russian-language Raadio 4 was born, and the classical-music-oriented Klassikaradio was founded in 1995.

Just like any familiar good story... "In the beginning, there was..." Vikerraadio Vikerraadio is an Estonian national radio station. ! How's that for dramatic effect? Vikerraadio Vikerraadio is an Estonian national radio station. is a radio station that was a part of the Estonian National Broadcasting Company. It is one of the oldest radio stations in Estonia. Although Vikerraadio Vikerraadio is an Estonian national radio station. sounds programmatically as though it is primarily aimed at pensioner-aged listeners, (and the average listener IS generally over 60), it is still a musically-diverse radio station, and one that can surprise listeners. As of 2022, Vikerraadio Vikerraadio is an Estonian national radio station. is still the most listened-to radio station in Estonia by day, week, and month.

Vikerradio was launched in 1967 and is thusly the oldest radio station still operating today. It is a station that focuses on general interests, and since it is a station belonging to the Estonian National Broadcasting Company, Vikerraadio Vikerraadio is an Estonian national radio station. is an important avenue for fast, adequate, and important information, while also providing the occasional upbeat program, as well. Vikerradio's music selection varies from the hits of today, to "forgotten-archive" songs, which in some extreme cases, can only be found in this archive! Vikerraadio Vikerraadio is an Estonian national radio station. 's program is an excellent place to acquaint yourself with older Estonian music that you'll likely never hear anywhere else. This program shines light on music that you wouldn't be able to seek out on your own, even if you knew what you were looking for.

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Raadio 2 Raadio 2 is an Estonian radio station.

Vikerradio's younger, fiercer and more-eccentric younger brother is Raadio 2 Raadio 2 is an Estonian radio station. , which also belongs to the Estonian National Broadcasting Company. Raadio 2 Raadio 2 is an Estonian radio station. is a radio station that launched in 1993, and focuses on the latest in Estonian pop music. Raadio 2 Raadio 2 is an Estonian radio station. 's program is largely built on the goal of introducing the latest albums and singles of Estonian musicians, and giving a platform to bands and musicians who are still largely unknown. In terms of programming, Raadio 2 Raadio 2 is an Estonian radio station. is certainly the most-recent and the most-modern radio station in Estonia. It's aimed at the modernization of Estonian pop music culture. The station also includes programs featuring genre-specific music, mainstream pop, and also older Estonian pop music, which is already beloved by many Estonians.

There is also spoken conversation within the Radio 2 broadcast, but it's not quite the same as the Vikerradio broadcast. Vikerradio has literal "talk shows," whereas Radio 2 will more offer simple commentary on the music at hand. Because of this, Radio 2 can help you learn about the pop music history of Estonia, as well as of the rest world. You can listen to Estonia's most talented musicians, music critics, and disc jockeys, all talking about their favorite topic: music!

Raadio 2 Raadio 2 is an Estonian radio station. also gives out an important music award at the end of each year, which recognizes the best newcomers on the Estonian music scene.

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Raadio Elmar

Raadio Elmar is only radio station that almost exclusively plays Estonian-language music. Elmar is a unique radio station, as it only broadcasts songs performed by Estonian artists, which are primarily sung in Estonian. This radio station does also occasionally include English and French music, as well. The station, created in 1997, originally played older Western hits alongside the expected Estonian catalog. Listeners would hear the works of ABBA, Boney M., and Baccara, which were extremely popular artists among the average audience at the time. As the years went by, Elmar primarily switched to Estonian-language music, and has stayed on that model ever since. After Estonia's victory at Eurovision, however, English-lyric songs by Estonian musicians were also added to the program, as well.

Raadio Elmar has long been the most loved and listened to radio station among Estonians, with a record number of listeners in the early 2000s. History repeats itself, though, as Vikerraadio Vikerraadio is an Estonian national radio station. has recently taken over as the most popular radio station in Estonia again. Raadio Elmar's program is quite colorful, and the radio station mixes the latest Estonian songs with modern cover versions of old songs. Listeners will also get to hear older Estonian pop music from the 1950s, evergreen hits, and even obscene parody songs.

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Rock FM

Rock FM is Estonia's only true rock radio station, which was founded in 2017 after Sky Media bought the previous Rádio Mania frequency. While Rádio Mania primarily played heavy metal and niche music, Rock FM took over a somewhat more generic model, and began to offer listeners a blend of more mainstream metal, softer rock, radio-friendly heavy rock, and popular rock bands. A large part of their radio repertoire also consists of new domestic rock music, and thus Rock FM has given a springboard to some young rock bands, which has brightened and refreshed the local music scene. 

Similar to the previous broadcasts covered here, you can also find some talk shows on the Rock FM program. These conversations often have an ironic undertone to them, with a large portion of the speakers being local heavy-rock fans, popular rock musicians, and just genre-related fans. 

The interludes within this broadcast are humorous in nature, because they often feature the voices of familiar Estonian pop musicians who announce, with disappointment, that Rock FM unfortunately does not play their music. This makes Rock FM an ideal radio station for anybody who does not want to listen to serious conversation, is not interested in politics, and enjoys the world of lighter rock music, while also finding an intrigue in Estonia's local rock and heavy metal scenes, as well.

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Retro FM

Similar to previous broadcasts covered in this article, Retro FM's program features a lot of popular Estonian music, along with pop music from the '70s, '80s and '90s, one hit wonders, and everything that could be characterized by the ever-popular adjective of "retro."

Retro FM is a great way to gain an overview of local disco and dance-party music from the aforementioned decades. If you tune into Retro FM, though, then you might have to suffer through a number of "retro hits," as well. At the very least, Retro FM has been offering an interesting web radio in recent years, Retro FM Eestikas, which solely spotlights Estonian-language music. This makes it considerately easier to get acquainted with retro-sounding Estonian music.

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Sky Plus Sky Plus is an Estonian commercial radio station. ; MyHits; Power Hit Radio Power Hit Radio is an Estonian dance music radio station.

There are also several radio stations in Estonia with similar broadcasting sensibilities. Oftentimes, the only main differences are presenters, and how in-depth they'll go into their respective topics. In terms of programming, Sky Plus Sky Plus is an Estonian commercial radio station. , MyHits, and Power Hit Radio Power Hit Radio is an Estonian dance music radio station. are the most modern stations, with a focus on the freshest Estonian and world pop music. These stations also have an exciting mix of genres, which includes everything from EDM to techno, and pop to rap.

Check out their websites - Sky, MyHits, Power Hit.
 

About the author:
 Tuuli Põhjakas is the culture editor for the daily paper, Postimees Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper. . 
Tuuli has always dreamed of calling herself a writer, but until that day comes, she writes in Postimees Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper. about her musical passions, ventures to a variety of concerts, and tries to find her way in this world. Tuuli has studied philosophy and religious studies at the University of Tartu University of Tartu - Tartu Ülikool is an Estonian higher education institute. , and has written two bachelor’s theses on Friedrich Nietzsche. Additionally, she hates talking about herself in the third person.

Philly Joe's Jazz Club

Not a huge rock or pop fan? Well, that doesn't mean you have to worry about missing out on live music in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). . A world-class jazz venue, Philly Joe's Jazz Club, opened in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). in 2014, right next to the Freedom Square, and offers the best selection of jazz that there is to offer. As the name suggests, it is purely a jazz club: Philly Joe's offers an intimate atmosphere befitting a true jazz club. It's almost like stepping into a proper American "gangster" movie!

Philly Joe's offers a regular schedule of music events from Tuesday to Saturday, consisting of mostly live music, and some music from vinyl, as well. There are occasional nights of jamming and trivia, but rest assured that music is always playing at Philly Joe's Jazz Club.

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Fotografiska

In addition to the lively nightlife in Telliskivi Loomelinnak, there is also an international photography museum, Fotografiska, which is primarily known for its excellent museum program. There's more, though! Fotografiska has a fairly regular music program, as well, where guests will be able to see many atmospheric and exciting concerts, including artists from different countries, diverse genres, and exclusive record presentations, as well. Fotografiska offers a diverse cultural experience, offering visual stimulation, good food, and live music. As mentioned, Fotografiska is located right in the heart of the Telliskivi Creative City, which makes it a popular place for both culture lovers and music fans alike.

Fotografiska has excellent acoustics, especially when it comes to unplugged concerts. Audiences at an unplugged Fotografiska concert will be able to appreciate every nuance of sound. Fotografiska's music program isn't only oriented to acoustic music, though.  Fotografiska offers a selection of events covering a variety of different genres: from heavy to soul, pop to folk, electronic to acoustic guitar, and more. With Fotografiska, there is something for everybody to enjoy.

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Vaba Lava

The Vaba Lava theatre center, which is located in the immediate vicinity of Fotografiska, is, as the name suggests, more of a performing-arts theatre than a concert hall. This does not mean that Vaba Lava does not offer an excellent music program, as well, though. The music events at Vaba Lava are considerably less frequent than events at the aforementioned venues, but Vaba Lava's concerts are of high production value, it's an opportunity to see big names and well-known faces perform. Vaba Lava's stage is incredible, and opens a door for visiting artists to take advantage of its stage design, lightning, and atmospheric capabilities.

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Kinomaja

Kinomaja, located in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). 's old town, is not a traditional concert venue, if only because the Estonian Cinema Association operates at this location during the day. Because of this, concert activity is less frequent at this spot. There are periods where you'll find many concerts at Kinomaja, but there are also quiet times of the year when there are fewer concerts. This does not mean that the other programs are boring or lacking in spirit, though!

On the contrary: Kinomaja's sparse scheduling is excellent, and very diverse. In addition to traditional concerts, their program also includes record presentations, unplugged concerts, music-related meet ups, and even competitions, which gives visitors the opportunity to test their skills. Keep your eye on Kinomaja's calendar of events!

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About the author:
 Tuuli Põhjakas is the culture editor for the daily paper, Postimees Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper. . 
Tuuli has always dreamed of calling herself a writer, but until that day comes, she writes in Postimees Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper. about her musical passions, ventures to a variety of concerts, and tries to find her way in this world. Tuuli has studied philosophy and religious studies at the University of Tartu University of Tartu - Tartu Ülikool is an Estonian higher education institute. , and has written two bachelor’s theses on Friedrich Nietzsche. Additionally, she hates talking about herself in the third person.
 

Helitehas

Helitehas is a concert and a party hall that opened its doors back in 2019. Primarily intended for concerts and organized events, the hall can accommodate up to 1,500 people, making it one of the largest concert halls in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). . Built in an old industrial factory, complete with high ceilings and dark concrete walls, Helitehas boasts a very ominous and gloomy atmosphere, making it an ideal place to explore the landscapes of heavy music. 

Heavy metal isn't the only genre that gets highlighted at Helitehas, though: The venue also hosts raves, EDM, rap performances, private parties, and so on. 

Helitehas is the perfect concert venue for those who want a fun concert experience, and then going home immediately after, as there really is no opportunity to hang out at the venue after the show is over.

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Rockclub Tapper

Rockclub Tapper, founded in 2008 in a former office building in Tondi, is a meeting place for friends of alternative music. Tapper boasts an even murkier environment than Helitehas, as Tapper is a venue exclusively for rock music, and the concerts held in the club are always on the heavier side of the rock spectrum. 

The club's music program features a lot of black and death metal, as well as everything else that heavy-music lovers hear and see in their darkest of dreams. The blackbox-style hall is one of the best in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). in terms of acoustics and sound, and although the hall can only hold up to 500 people, it is far more spacious and atmospheric than you would imagine.

One of the features that makes Tapper special is how hidden and exclusive it feels: The venue is located in an old building, and is hidden amongst modern buildings that the ravages of time have not yet begun to bite. Tapper can be difficult to find at first, but once you've found it, you won't want to leave! It's definitely a special gem within Estonia's music scene.

Tapper isn't quite in the heart of the city, but the venue is just a stone's throw from the party epicenter, so moving into town after a concert isn't much of a feat.

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Barbar Rockclub

Helitehas and Tapper are primarily concert halls where events take place as needed. Barbar Rockclub is a bit different. For starters, Barbar is not your usual concert hall , as a large part of Barbar's core is made up of Estonian bands, hobbyists, and music lovers. This is important to note, because while Tapper and Helitehases feature the undisputed peaks of the world's heavy-music scene, Barbar unites a bold and local Estonian scene.

Additionally, Barbar's weekly program is extremely busy, dense, and exciting: The weekend program is are reserved for live concerts, where you can see exciting and fresh domestic rock music at an affordable price. The weekday program is full of exciting events, where there is no shortage of quizzes, "open-mic" concerts, comedy performances, poetry evenings, and even unexpected jams.
Barbar has a great atmosphere to it, and really does "check off every box" that you would expect from a rock club. With red walls and dim lighting, heavy music playing through the stereo, and tattooed construction walls, Barbar a place that any scene lover could fall in love with, and a place you won't forget!

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Kidrakuur Culture Club

Freshly opened in November, another great place to enjoy live rock music has sprouted in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). ! Kidrakuur Culture Club was born out out of a rehearsal room in the same building, where the Kidrakuur guitar workshop is located. The cultural program of Kidrakuur kickstarts on November 3, 2022 and will hopefully have a home in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). for a long time to come.

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About the author:

Tuuli Põhjakas is the culture editor for the daily paper, Postimees Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper. . 
Tuuli has always dreamed of calling herself a writer, but until that day comes, she writes in Postimees Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper. about her musical passions, ventures to a variety of concerts, and tries to find her way in this world. Tuuli has studied philosophy and religious studies at the University of Tartu University of Tartu - Tartu Ülikool is an Estonian higher education institute. , and has written two bachelor’s theses on Friedrich Nietzsche. Additionally, she hates talking about herself in the third person.
 

This honorary title is given by Estonian Public Broadcasting to a musician whose creative achievements have helped to promote Estonian music culture. With the title, he joins the ranks of renowned conductors Paavo Järvi Paavo Järvi is an Estonian conductor. and Tõnu Kaljuste, composers Erkki-Sven Tüür, Tõnu Kõrvits and Helena Tulve and pianist Kalle Randalu, to name a few.

Although Estonian music and its top names have achieved fame worldwide, in comparison to older European states the tradition itself is relatively short. In his interviews, Reinvere emphasises that culture is the most important Estonian export. He came to the Musician of the Year ceremony from Frankfurt, his current hometown. In fact, he has spent most of his life of 50 years outside Estonia.

Reinvere says that his view of world affairs is German, but he always introduces himself as an Estonian. It’s important to him. In addition to music, he emphasises, one has to remain curious about the world – to see, understand and generalise. Reinvere is a composer as well as an eloquent writer and essayist. Online he introduces himself to the world as a composer, essayist and poet. Words and sounds are intertwined in his world, which is rare among musicians.

The role of chance

Born in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). , Jüri’s bright childhood world was the suburb of Mustamäe Administrative district in SW of Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). (pop. 67 000). , filled with the geometry of identical white apartment blocks. This mathematical precision of his surroundings affected him surrealistically and suggestively so much so that his inclination to symmetry is still recognisable in his works.

“Chance plays a much bigger role in our lives than we think,” he says. This is how he found music. Since his mother was a swimmer, the toddler attended kindergarten near the swimming pool rather than near his home. The kindergarten specialised in English language and the kids were prepared for entry tests in order to be accepted for further education at a similar school. Singing was one of the required skills and music lessons changed Jüri’s life. As a six-year-old, he claimed that he wanted to become a composer.

Reinvere remembers the anxiety of his school years. The pressures of the late 1970s and 1980s in Estonia came from Soviet society. He remembers the continual war propaganda at school – it could break out any time, they said. The enemy does not sleep. The only way to escape the looming sense of the end of the world was to dive into the world of music.

He first studied piano at the Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). Music High School, later taking composition classes with Lepo Sumera. Sumera was a talented composer and brilliant personality, however during the social changes of Glasnost, he entered politics and became the Minister of Culture. This marked the end of the teacher-student relationship.

A headlong plunge into the unknown

After graduation, Reinvere went to study composition in Warsaw. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, borders with the rest of the world started to open. He was among the first wave of promising music students who went abroad, into a foreign environment with other traditions. The eighteen-year-old boy’s headlong plunge into the widely interconnected world of Central European music culture left strong impressions on his art and personality.

Jüri Reinvere moved to Finland a couple of years later. He played the organ in churches and hoped to be accepted into the composition department of Sibelius Academy. Whether pure luck or hard work, the doors finally opened and he left Finland with a master’s degree a decade later. His new home became Berlin, however, Reinvere has lived in Frankfurt since 2017.

“As a composer of Estonian origin, I’ve had the good fortune of gaining an education that in many ways is oppositional and, in its severity, maybe even dangerous. But for my exuberant, bustling Estonian world, this terribly severe, detailed, matter-of-fact and precise work has been a lifesaver.“

Reinvere is on a constant quest to learn, he is curious about everything that surrounds him. “Being curious about the lives of others, their thoughts, other types of art – this is what gets me in motion in some other direction – it gets me to come out of myself. This brings the desire to understand what makes us human and the capacity to place things in right proportions.”

Teachers

Although there have been many teachers in his life who influenced his thought-world and directing him towards Central European artistic values, Reinvere himself considers his most important mentor to be the Estonian ex-pat pianist and writer Käbi Laretei who lived in Sweden and who introduced him to her former husband, the Swedish film and theatre director Ingmar Bergman.

The young composer, who took piano lessons from Käbi and with whom he could discuss various issues related to being Estonian, was often taken along to the island of Farö where Ingmar had his so-called “nest”. The three of them spent many hours discussing music, culture and life in general. 

This period gave serious creative impetus to Reinvere. Bergman introduced him to the tradition of Northern-European drama and to the psychological characterisation of dramatic figures. They both encouraged him to write, which led to prose experiments soon followed by idiosyncratic poetry written in English. Now, Reinvere often uses his own written texts in his musical compositions and he is also the librettist for his operas.

Radio

The role of the radio in the composer’s life deserves separate attention. When a classical music radio programme was established on Estonian Radio in the middle of the 1990s, Jüri, who at that moment was studying across the gulf in Finland, became a frequent guest host. He made radio shows on musical phenomena and musicians, travelling all around Estonia with his microphone.

I remember him as a joyful and modest young man who transformed into a totally different type of person in his shows. This other person moved in bold steps from the surface of the cultural sphere across time and space, making courageous generalisations and occasionally announcing quite arrogant standpoints. But he never attacked or offended anyone. Those flights of fancy were creative, they were based on a broad cultural surface and his viewpoints often diverged from the opinions we were used to hearing.

These days, Jüri Reinvere warmly recalls his times on the radio for another reason – it helped him to better understand musical dramaturgy and interaction with the audience. His first editor on the radio was the experienced and always positive Helve Võsamäe who, as if in passing, gave him a golden tip. Whenever you get the feeling that the show is becoming boring and there is too much text, you have to include a short and sharply ending piece of music to create a change, an interruption. Jüri says that this advice served him well in shaping his creations.

The other creative impulse came from a late-night show of eclectic music called “Fantasy”, which included various authors. As expected, Reinvere jumped into this adventure too. In summer, when there were fewer people around, he took it upon himself to do a number of the two-hour shows. He has colourfully described the feeling he had in the beginning of the night when the hustle and bustle of the radio station calmed down. He was there with his microphone, blinking lights and piles of music albums that he always tried to shape into a dramaturgic whole for the listeners. This was a very educational experience for the young composer, he said years later.

Radio also played a role as one of the first promoters of Reinvere’s music internationally. In 2000, he won the International Rostrum for Composers in Amsterdam in the category of composers under 30 with his chamber ensemble piece “Loodekaar” (Northwest Bow), which was entered into competition by Klassikaraadio Klassikaraadio - Radio of Classics is an Estonian radio station. . Rostrum participants are radio stations from all over the world that play serious music and offer each other new compositions. Reinvere’s piece played on the radio stations of over thirty countries after the event.

In order to celebrate this long and meaningful collaboration, Reinvere dedicated his new piece “Klara’s Two Bracelets” to Klassikaraadio Klassikaraadio - Radio of Classics is an Estonian radio station. . This work was performed by Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). Chamber Orchestra and conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste at the studio concert “ Klassikaraadio Klassikaraadio - Radio of Classics is an Estonian radio station. – 25”.

Times are changing

To date, Reinvere has written three operas, all of which have been staged in different countries. His works have been performed by many well-known German orchestras, including one of the best symphony orchestras in the world – Berliner Philharmoniker – and it has been played by different groups at many German festivals. Various projects for the next few years are in process.

Classical music and the art of composing is the cultural business card of Estonia. A new composer in the world arena naturally attracts attention in Estonia. In addition, Reinvere’s signature style differs considerably from the local mainstream. He is not captivated by statics or linear movements and masses of sound. He is different and that’s a good thing as there is richness in diversity.

But there are some concerns as well. Composer Reinvere’s success takes place in a sphere that essayist Reinvere sees as problematic. The main subject of his essays is the relationship between culture and society, between creation and power.

“The political elite no longer listens to classical music, does not consider it its own. This was not the case thirty years ago. For centuries, classical music has been the music of those in power, the music of the elite. Today’s leaders, politicians and governors listen to a completely different kind of music,” the musician said in his interview to Klassikaraadio Klassikaraadio - Radio of Classics is an Estonian radio station. . But that is not all.

“The other big change is that society has become resistant to elitism. Everything that is considered elite is despised. The high arts are increasingly rejected by people and elitism is seen as something negative.”

Add to this the short attention span of the internet era, which prevents people from reaching processes (as well as long musical pieces) that require time. For the same reason, people are less likely to acquire skills that require rehearsing for longer periods, such as playing an instrument on a level required in the world of classical music.

Reinvere is sailing in these draughts with his music. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic and he has opportunities. As his success is also our success, we in Estonia keep our fingers crossed for him.